Does Friar Lawrence Use Dramatic Irony In Romeo And Juliet

Miles Seder
E9H-5
1/12/23
Friar Lawrence’s dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet
Many people become hooked onto entertainment films because they want to figure out the outcome of the movie or show they’re watching. However, writers in literature use a powerful technique to hook viewers called dramatic irony, where the audience is aware of something that the characters are not. It builds tension and adds depth to the story, as well as creating a sense of anticipation for the audience. In William Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet, dramatic irony is used from the prologue, where the audience is told that Romeo and Juliet kill themselves in the end. This keeps the audience attentive, as they see how every action Romeo and Juliet make leads to

Friar Lawrence also applies this to Romeo and Juliets relationship. Romeo and Juliet only knew each other for a couple days before they wanted to get married. Friar Lawrence presents the idea of approaching their love with caution and restraint. Friar knows that it is foolish to go and secretly get married when you have pretty much just met each other. Shakespeare writes on Friar Lawrence's attempt to counsel Romeo, stating, “Wisely and slow; they stumble that run fast” (2.3.97). Stumbling by running fast is exactly what Romeo ends up doing throughout the entire play. Wisely and slow is completely out the window, according to Romeo. It’s ironic because the audience knows that Romeo doesn’t listen, as they already know how the play will end. If Romeo would have listened to Friar Lawrence and slowed down his relationship with Juliet, they both would have survived. The extent of dramatic irony in Friar's advice is what makes these lines the most striking example of dramatic irony in the play, and the audience would want to warn Romeo about his fate. Unfortunately, for Romeo and Juliet, the audience cannot share this information with